Wednesday 1^st February, 6.00pm – 8.30pm

Mitchell Arts Centre, Stoke-on-Trent

Staffordshire Creative Health and Wellbeing Network’s events programme continues with a practical guide to how to write a case study about an arts and health project. Case studies can be an excellent way of recording examples of your work and effectively communicating its benefits to potential employers.

The event is a practical, hands on workshop where you will begin to write your own case study based on a project you have already carried out. You will be asked to prepare a short project outline before the event and bring a laptop if possible to carry out a range of exercises aiming to help you to capture and communicate relevant information.  Read more... (236 words, estimated 57 secs reading time)

Friday 27^th January 2012, 9.30am – 1pm

Birmingham City University, School of Art, Margaret Street, Birmingham

praXis is one of ten regional organisations that are working together to establish a new, National Alliance for arts and health. As part of this process, a series of events are taking place across England to develop a Charter that will set out the mutual values for those working in arts, health and wellbeing and embody the founding principles for a National Alliance.  Read more... (441 words, estimated 1:46 mins reading time)

Following on from the informative Tender Writing Creative Remedies and PraXis Artists Networking event on 8 November at The Pie & Ale House in Stafford, there is a Facebook discussion around the subject of artist’s experiences of applying for projects and commissioners understanding of product and process. We would like to hear your views, experiences and suggestions of how we can enlighten commissioners.

Visit our facebook page to have your say www.facebook.com/praxisartsandhealth

The latest in the series of professional development events took place in Stafford on Tuesday 8th November. The session was led by Kate Gant of Creative Health CIC.

Notes from the session are available to download here.

At the end of the session, attendees identified ten top tips:  Read more... (139 words, estimated 33 secs reading time)

1. Think about the type of work you want to do.
2. Read the brief thoroughly at least twice
3. Ask relevant intelligent questions of the contact on the brief.
4. Include lots of evidence of all of the submission criteria.
5. Include your relevant past experience.

Arts and Wellbeing: Recent Developments, Future Challenges

Throughout the UK, health professionals and creative artists have worked together for over 25 years in using the arts to support healthcare and health promotion. Given the current uncertainties over reforms to the NHS and public health, and the Big Society agenda, it is timely to examine the achievements of arts and health collaborations to date and look forward to new challenges and opportunities. Speakers will look at the growing evidence-base for the value of involvement in creative activity for wellbeing and health – both in the UK and internationally. Workshops will provide opportunities for participants to learn about current arts for wellbeing projects from leading arts for health practitioners.  Read more... (177 words, estimated 42 secs reading time)

Name of film: A Year at Sherbrooke

A Year at Sherbrooke is an inspiring and heart-warming documentary about how art and creativity can transform people’s lives. Shot over a year at the Sherbrooke Community Centre in Saskatoon, artists Thelma Pepper and Jeff Nachtigall work with the long-term care residents and show them how artistic expression can open up their world and give them a new lease on life.

Artists at Sherbrooke (a long-term care facility in Canada): Jeff Nachtigall and Thelma Pepper

Date of screening at Stoke Film Theatre: Monday October 24th

Time of screening: 7.45pm (bar open prior to film but not afterwards)  Read more... (165 words, estimated 40 secs reading time)

A Visioning Day for all those wanting to explore creativity in relation to Dementia

Tuesday 4 October 2011

9.30am to 4.30pm

Oakengates Theatre @ The Place, Telford

The event is open to anyone who wants to have an impact in the way we think about Dementia. We are looking for Volunteers, Carers, Artists, Professionals, Practitioners and anyone with an interest in this field who is willing to explore creative ideas on the future of services in and around Telford. We will be working up a document which will explore creative opportunities for those living with dementia to participate and discuss creativity as a means of improving sense of wellbeing. The day will ensure all those attending have an impact in shaping future delivery around creativity and its capacity to enhance the wellbeing of people living with dementia and their family, carers in Telford and Wrekin. We are seeking a cross section of people to attend.  Read more... (181 words, estimated 43 secs reading time)

Volunteering England have been awarded the funding over three years to support communities and people surviving the economic downturn including developing new skills and identifying and implementing support needed through volunteering.

A new project led by Volunteering England working with 15 volunteering centres across England and the Institute of Volunteering Research will aim to tackle the longer-term effects on communities hardest hit by cutbacks, as part of the Big Lottery Fund’s response to the economic climate.

See here for more details

In 2010, ONS launched a programme to measure national well-being.

The aim is to develop and publish an accepted and trusted set of National Statistics which help people understand and monitor national well-being.

As part of the programme, ONS set up a national debate to gather views on what matters to people and what influences their well-being.

The debate attracted over 34,000 responses and highlighted that the key areas that matter most to people include our health, connections with other people such as family and friends and the local community; job satisfaction and adequate income and wealth; work-life balance; meaning and purpose; the environment and government services.  Read more... (148 words, 1 image, estimated 36 secs reading time)